Folding couch and the like



W. E. FRANK FOLDING COUCH AND THE LIKE March 31, 1931 Filed May 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT-c1? March 31, 1931. w. E. FRANK' 1,798,462

FOLDING COUCH AND THE LIKE Filed May 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR l V/Y/M'm f Frank,

' fi-rTore/vsrs Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT orFicE WILLIAM E. FRANK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER BROS. MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A. CORPORATION OF MISSOURI FOLDING COUCH AND THE LIKE Applicationyfiled May 24, 1928. Serial No. 280,225.

This invention relates to coaches, davenports and chairs of the kind that are adapted to be converted into a bed and which are equipped with a folding mattress supporting means composed of a plurality of sections combined in such a manner that they are hidden from view when the article is in its closed condition and will move automatically into horizontal alignment with each other when the article is in its open condition.

One object of my present invention is to provide a mattress supporting means for a folding couch or the. like, which is of such design that one section of same and a portion of the mattress, will be positioned at the rear of or behind the upholstered back of the couch when the couch is closed, thereby permitting the upholstered seat of the couch to occupy a lower position than is possible in folding couches of the type in which all portions of the mattress and all sections of the mattress supporting means are positioned underneath the seat when the couch is in its closed condition.

Another object is to provide a folding couch or the like in which the mattress sup porting means is of such design that ample space is provided under the seat of the couch for receiving the bedding, pillows and a doubled or folded portion of the mattress, notwithstanding the fact that the seat is relatively deep and is arranged at about the same elevation or height from the floor as the seat of a stationary couch.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a mattress supporting means for folding couches and the like, which consists of three separate sections combined with an operating mechanism that is constructed in a novel manner which overcomes the necessity of using supporting legs for the intermediate section when the couch is in its open condition.

And still another object of my invention is to provide a folding couch or the like in which the mattress supporting means is of such design that when the couch is being used as a bed, there are no transversely-disposed, rigid members underneath the mattress that the mattress is apt to strike against, and thus cause discomfiture to the occupant, when the mattress sags or flexes downwardly, due to the weight-of the occupant. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an end view illustrating a folding couch or davenport equipped with a mattress supporting means constructed in accordance with my present invention, showing the couch in its open condition.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view, showing the sections of the mattress supporting means folded or in the position they occupy when the couch is closed.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the parts illustrated in Figure'3, the upholstered seat of the couch being shown in full lines; and

Figure 5 is an end view, illustrating how the various sections of the mattress supporting means move relatively to each other in the operation of opening and closing the couch.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, X designates the stationary end frames of a folding couch or the like, Y designates the seat of the couch and Z designates the back, the said parts being shown in broken lines so as tonot obscure the mattress supporting means that constitutes my invention. In most instances the seat Y and back Z will be constructed in the form of separate, upholstered units and the back Z will be combined with the end frames A in such a way that it can be swung upwardly into an inoperative position, as shown in Figure 5, preparatory to unfolding the mattress supporting means soas to convert the couch into a bed. The seat Y is preferably permanently combined with or connected to one section of the mattress supporting means, as hereinafter described.

The mattress supporting means comprises three sections A, B and C, combined in such a manner that the sections B andC and a doubled portion of the mattress to will be arranged under the seat Y, and the section A and. a portion of said. mattress will be arranged behind or at the rear of the back Z when the couch is in its closed condition, as shown in Figure 3. Then the couch is in its open condition said sections A, B and C will lie in the same horizontal plane or in longitudinal alignment with each other, as shown in Figure 1. Said three sections are equipped with a suitable supporting structure for the mattress, such, for example, as a conventional linked fabric 1, shown in Figure 4. The section C, which I will refer to as the bottom section, is composed of a substantially yoke-shaped frame which is reinforced and strengthened at its two corners by inclined or diagonal braces 2 attached to the cross member and end members of said frame, as shown in Figure 4. The section A, which I will refer to as the front section, also consists of a yoke-shaped frame whose two corners are reinforced and strengthened in a similar manner by inclined or diagonal braces. The section B, which I will refer to as the intermediate section, consists simply of two straight frame members 3 arranged parallel to the ends of said section and connected by struts to a rectangular-shaped seat frame 4; that forms part of the upholstered seat Y of the couch. When the couch is closed, as shown in Figure 3, the cross member of the bottom section C extends transversely of the couch and the end members of said section project forwardly from said cross member, the cross member of the front section A is located adjacent the top edge of the back Z in parallel relation to same and the end mem bers of said section A project downwardly from said cross-member, and the end men bers of the intermediate section B occupy a position at substantially right angles to the end members of the front section A and project forwardly from same at a point below the top edge of a transversely-(iisposed board V at the front side of the couch that is attached to the end frames X and which hides from view the various parts of the structure that are arranged underneath the seat Y.

The operating mechanism of the mattress supporting means that is used to sustain the sections A, B and C and move said sections during the operation of opening and closing the couch, is so constructed that when the top section A is moved upwardly and forwardly from the position shown in Figure 3 into the position shown in Figure 5, during the operation of opening the couch, the intcrmediate section B will revolve forwardly into an inverted position and the bottom section C will move upwardly from tne depressed position which it occupies when the couch is closed. To close the couch it is only necessary to raise the front section l from the position shown in Figure l and move it rearwadly, which operation causes the intermediate section B to revolve in the oppositedirection back to its former position,

and causes the bottom section C to move downwardly into a position directly beneath the intermediate section B.

In order that the doubled portion of the mattress w lying between the sections 3 and C, and the pillows and covers positioned inside of the doubled portion of the mattress, will be free to unfold and fold without interfering with the movements of the sect ons l3 and C during the operation of opening and closing the couch, the operating mechanism is so constructed that the bottom section U will be maintained in an inclined position with its front edge tilted downwardly during a portion of the upward movement of said section and during a portion of the downward movement of said section. The operating mechanism is also constructed in such a way that the pivot points about which the intermediate section B revolves during the operation of opening the couch, will be raised and moved forwardly suiliciently to cause the intermediate section B to bodily rise and move for *ardly over the top edge of the stationary, transversely-chsposed board V that forms part of the frame of the couch. By constructing the mattress supporting means in this manner it possible to equip the couch with a deep upholstered seat Y that occupies a relatively low position when he couch is closed and which is spaced far enough away from the structure that sustains the mattress when the couch is in its open position to eliminate the possibility of the mattress striking against the rigid seat frame 4 when the structure 1 that sustains the mattress flexes downwardly, due to the weight of the occupant of the bed.

The ope 'ating mechanism of the mattress supporting means can be constructed in various ways to effect the above-described movements of the sections A. B and C, but I have found that an operating mechanism of the construction herein illustrated is compact, inexpensive to manufacture and reliable in operation. Said operating mechanism preferably comprises two supporting members 5 connected to the end frames X of the couch, and two pairs of swinging members 6 and 7 pivotally mounted on said supporting members 5 and pivotally connected with the bottom section C of the mattress supporting means in such a my that said section is capable of assuming an inclined position, with its front edge tilted downwardly when said section moves upwardly during the operation of opening the couch and when said section moves downwardly during the operation of closing the couch. The swinging members 6 are pivotally connected at one end by pivots 6 to the section C, adjacent the rear edge of said section, and the opposite ends of said members 6 are pivotally connected at 6" to the supporting members 5. If desired, the members 6 can be provided with angularly-disposed extensions 6 that are attached to springs 8 which con stantly exert pressure on the member'sb in a direction tending to swing the free ends of said members upwardly. The swinging members 7, preriously referred to, are piv ally connected at one end to the supper members 5, and the opposite ends of sad men'ibers 'Z are )rovided with elongated slots which receive pins that project laterally from th bottom section C the front edge of said section, shown clearly in ure 3. The swinging members 7 considerably shorter than the swinging members 6 with which they cooperate to sustain the bottom section C of the mattress supporting means. When the couch is closed, as shown in Figure 3, the swinging members 6 and 7 project downwardly, and thus hold the bottom section C in a horizontal position at a point considerably below the i termediate section B of the mattress supporting means.

The intermediate section B is sustained by two elbow-shaped or curved links D whose front ends are pivotally connected at 9 to the front edge of the seat frame l and whose rear ends are pivotally connected at 10 to two bell crank levers E that are pivotally mounted at 11 on the supporting members 5. The long" arms of the bell crank levers E are pivotally connected at 12 to the rearends of links 13 whose front ends are pivotally connected at l to the seat frame l adjacent the transverse center of said seat frame. Each of the elbow-shaped links D is connected intermediate its ends by a pivot 15 to the upper end of a swinging link 16 whose lower is pivotally connected at 17 to one of the supporting: members 5. The bell crank levers E, in addition to being" used to form part of the actu. mechanism for intermediate section B, are also used to raise and lower the bottom section C, the short arms of said bell. crank levers being provided with lateral pro ections or grooved rollers 18 that travel in elongated slots or guidcways 19 of any preferred construction, arranged at the ends of the sections C.

The front section A of the mattress sup porting means is connected directly to the intermediate section B by pivots 20 that pass through the terminal portions of the end members of the section B and pass throu the end members of the section A at poi t some distance inwardly from the termina ends of same, as shown clearly in Figure The extensions of the end members of the section A that project rearwardly beyond n pivots 20 are connected by pivots 21 to links 522 whose other ends are curved and pivotally connected by pivots 23 to the links 13 previously referred to. The end members of this section A and the end members of the section B are preferably constructed from commercially rolled angle irons arranged so that when the couch is in its open position, as shown in Figure 1, the horizontallydisposed flanges of the portions of the end members of the section A lying between the pivots 20 and 521 will lap over and bear upon the horizontallywlisposed flanges of the end members of the intermediate section B, thereby forn ing in effect continuous members that extend across the ends of the sections A and B. The front edge of the front section A is sustained or supported by pivotally mounted legs 24 when the couch is in its open condition. At such times, e., when he couch is open, the intermediate section B is rigidly sustained in a horizontal position in front of the transversely-disposed board V of the frame of the couch by the elbowsnaped links D which project forwardly over the top edge of said board V and by the links 13 attached to the long arms of the bell crank lovers E. The load to which said intermediate section B is subjected is effectively taken up by the swinging links 16, which, in the open position of the couch, bear upon or contact with laterally-projecting portions 5 at the front ends of the supporting memcore 5 which serve as stops against which the h he 16 strike when the sections A and B the joint comprising the pivot 12 will bear directly upon the joint comprisin the pivot 15. By constructing theoperating mechanism or the mattress supporting means in this manner, I am able to dispense with supporting legs for the intermediate section B, for when the couch is open, as shown in Fig ure 1, the intermediate section B is sustained by the elbow-shaped links D, the links 13 and thelong arms of the bell crank levers E in conjunction with the short links 16 that bear upon the stops or abutments 5 on the sup porting members 5. and the rear edge of the front section A is firmly supported and sustained by the rearward extensions of the end members of said front section A that lap over portions of the end members of the intermediate section B.

By referring to Figure 3 it will be noted that in the closed position of the couch the portion of the mattress to car ied by the section A is maintained in spaced relation or out of direct contact with the back Z of the couch by the section A which lies between the mattress and the back Z, thereby preventing this doubled portion of the mattress portion of the mattress from being constantly subjected to pressure or to rubbing contact with the back when the couch is in its closed position. it will also be noted that at such times the intermediate section B occupies a horizontal position at the rear of and below the top er of the transverselydisposed front board of the couch frame and at a point high enough above the bottom section G to provide an ample space for the pillows, bed covers and doubled portion of the mattress that lies between the sections 1) and C. During the first portion of the operation of opening the couch the intermediate section B starts to revolve upwardly and forwardly about the pivots 9 as an axis, and as the long arms of the bell crank levers E travel forwardly, the elbowshaged links D which carry the pivots 9 also move forwardly. Due to the factthatthese links D joined by the short links 16 to the supportin members 5, the forward movement of ti links D will cause the links 16 to move upwardly and forwardly thus bodily raising the front ends of the links I) that carry the pivots 9, with the result that the intermediate section B and the seat frame to which it is connected will be bodily raised and moved forwardly over the top edge of the transversely-(lisposed front board V of the couch frame. During this forward rotary movement of the intermediate section B the bottom section C is raised by the short arms of the bell crank levers E, the rear edge of said bottom section C traveling upwardly during the first portion of its upward movement at a faster rate than the front edge of said section, thereby causing the section C to assume an inclined position with its front edge tilted downwardly, as

' shown in Figure 5, and thus permitting the to unfold freely while the intermediate section B is revolving forwardly into its inverted position. During the last portion of the opening operation the grooved rollers or projections 18 on the short arms of the levers E travel forwardly in the guideways 19 provided for same on the ends of the bottom section C, thereby causing the front edge of said section C to move upwardly into horizontal alignment with the inverted intermediate section B. During this last portion of the opening operation the links 22, acting in conjunction with the links 13, cause the front section A to swing on the pivots 20 and assume a position in longitudinal alignment with the intermediate section B, the legs 2% of the section A. swinging downwardly into a position at right angles to said section as said section approaches its extended position shown in Figure 1. hen the couch is open it is as comfortable to lie upon as an ordinary bed, because there are no rigid members extending transversely of the mattress supporting means intermediate the ends of same against which the mattress can strike, and thus cause discomfiture to the occupant when the supporting structure 1 on which the mattress rests sags or flexes, due to the weight of the occupant. This desirable result is attained by equipping the sections A and C of the mattress supportin means with yoke-shaped frames whose cross members are arranged at the extreme ends of the mattress when the couch is open, and by forming the frame of the intermediate section B from two end members 3 that are connected by struts to the frame which is located far enough below the mattress to prevent the mattress from striking against the same when the bed is m use.

To close the couch is only necessary to lift the front section A and push it rearwardly, which operation causes the intermediate section B to revolve rcarwardly back to its normal position at the rear of and below the top edge of the transversely-(lisposcd front board V of the couch frame and causes the bottom section C to move downwardly to its depressed position, the front edge of said bottom section C being maintained in a downwardly tilted position during a portion of its downward movement, thereby permitting the mattress to fold without interfering with the movements of the sections B and C. By the time the intermediate section B reaches its normal position the front section A will occupy such a position that the back Z of the couch can be swung downwardly back to its normal position shown in Figure 3. If desired, the front section A can be equipped with a bed clothes holding device F formed by a transversely-disposed member attached to spring-actuated levers that are pivotally connected at 26 to the front section A, the springs 27 that are used to actuate the holding device F being so arranged that they exert pressure on the lovers 25 in a direction tending to force the holding device F towards the mattress when the couch is closed, and that they tend to maintain the lovers 25 in an upright position so that the holding device F will serve as a foot board when the couch is open, as shown in Figure 1.

A mattress supporting means of the construction above described is inexpensive to manufacture; it is of such simple design that it is reliable in operation and is not apt to get out of order when in use; it permits the couch to be equipped with a relatively deep upholstered seat that is arranged about the same distance from the floor as the seat of a. stationary couch; it affords ample space for the mattress pillows and bed covers when the couch is closed; it prevents the mattress from being rubbed or subjected to pressure from the seat or back of the couch, when the couch is closed, and it overcomes the necessity of using supporting legs for the intermediate section of the mattress supporting means.

ill)

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mattress supporting means for a folding couch or the like equipped with a seat and a back, comprising a front section that lies behind the back and a bottom section and intermediate section that are arranged in superimposed relation beneath the seat when the article is closed, supporting members connected to the end frames of the article, swinging members of different length pivotally connected to said supporting members for sustaining said bottom section, pivotally mounted bell crank levers on said supporting members, co-operating means on said bottom section and on the short arms of said bell crank levers for raising and lowering said bottom section and maintaining it in an inclined position with its front edge tilted downwardly during portions of its movement, a seat frame connected to said inter mediate section, shiftable links pivotally connected to the long arms of said bell crank levers'and provided with pivots about which said intermediate section revolves into an inverted position during the operation of opening the article, means connected with the long arms of said bell crank levers for controlling the movements of said intermediate section, pivotal connections between tl e front section and the intermediate section, and means for controlling the movement of said front section relatively to the intermediate section.

2. A mattress supporting means for a folding couch or the like equipped with a seat and a back, comprising a front section that lies behind the back and a bottom section and intermediate section that are arranged in superimposed relation beneath the seat when the article is closed, supporting members connected to the end frames of the article, swinging members of difierent length pivotally connected to said supporting members for sustaining said bottom section, pivotally mounted bell crank levers on said supporting members, co-operating means on said bottom section and on the short arms of said bell crank levers for raising and lowering said bottom section and maintaining it at an inclined position with its front edge tilted downwardly during portions of its movement, a seat frame connected to said intermediate section, shiftable elbow-shaped links pivotally attached at one end to the long arms of said bell crank lever and at their opposite ends to said seat frame, swinging links attached to the supporting members and to said shiftable links for bodily raising and lowering the intermediate section during the operation of opening and closing the article, links pivotally connected to the ends of said bell crank levers and to said seat frame for controlling the movement of the intermediate section, pivots between the front section and the intermediate section disposed so as to produce extensions on the end members of the front section that lap over the end members of the intermediate section when the article is open, and links pivotally connected at one end to said extensions and at their opposite ends to he links which are attached to the terminal ends of the bell crank levers and to the seat frame. 3. A mattress supporting means for a foldmg couch or the like, equipped with two sections that are arranged in superimposed relation beneath the seat of the article'when it is in its closed condition, a seat combined with the top section, an operating mechanism comprising levers pivotally mounted on a supporting structure and provided with means for raising and lowering the bottom section, shiftable elements pivotally attached at one end to said levers and having their opposite ends pivotally connected to said top section so as to serve as a support on which said top section can revolve, links pivotally attached to said top section and to said levers for controlling the movement of said top section, and oscillating devices on said supporting structure pivotally connected to said shiftable elements for controlling the movement of same, said oscillating devices being so arranged that the upper ends of same serve as supports for the joints between said levers and the links attached to same when the article is open.

4. A mattress supporting means for a folding couch or the like, equipped with two sections that are arranged in superimposed relation beneath the seat of the article when it is in its closed position, an operating mechanism comprising parts that shift forwardly during the operation of opening the article, the top section being oscillatingly mounted on said shiftable parts, swinging links carried by a supporting structure and connected by pivotal joints to the intermediate portions of said shiftable parts for causing said shiftable parts to travel in a path that will cause said top section to move upwardly and forwardly over the top edge of a stationary frame member of the article behind which said top section is positioned when the article is closed, and a jointed structure for controlling the movement of said top section arranged so that when the article is open said jointed structure is supported intermediate its ends by said swinging links.

5. A mattress supporting means for a folding couch or the like, equipped with two sections that are arranged in superimposed relation beneath the seat of the article when it is in its closed condition, an operating mechanism comprising bell crank levers pivotally mounted on a supporting structure, coacting means on the short arms of said levers and on said bottom section for raising said bottom section and permitting it to assunie an inclined position with its front edge tilted downwardly during portions of its movements, shiftable elbow-shaped links pivotally attached to the long arms of said 1evers and provided with pivots about which said top section oscillates during the operation of opening and closing the article, links pivotally attached to the long arms of said levers and to said top section to control the movement of said section, and devices pivotally attached to said supporting structure and to said shittable links for causing said shiftable links to rise and fall during the operation of opening and closing the article.

WILLIAM E. FRANK. 

